Toyota Yaris Cross compact SUV revealed
All-new Toyota SUV confirmed for Australia with super-efficient 85kW hybrid powertrain availableThe Toyota Yaris Cross compact SUV has been revealed during an online media conference after its Geneva motor show reveal was axed in March due to COVID-19.
As predicted, the Japanese car brand's new Yaris-based baby SUV will arrive late this year and the Yaris Cross will be offered with a pair of 1.5-litre petrol engines, one of them a hybrid.
If the Toyota RAV4 is any indication – and the fact that one in five Toyota vehicles sold in 2020 is forecast to be petrol-electric – demand for the hybrid powertrain will be strong.
The main rivals for the new Toyota Yaris Cross in Australia will be the Mazda CX-3, which retails for $22,710 (plus on-road costs) – a loose indication of where Toyota will need to position its new SUV.
The upcoming Ford Puma will be another competitor for the Yaris Cross.
The Toyota Yaris Cross has 30mm more ground clearance than its sibling, the Yaris hatchback, and is taller by 90mm, wider by 20mm and longer by 240mm, at 4180mm in length. This should make it a little roomier inside than the Yaris.
Although specific engine specs haven't been released for the local market, European versions of the 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid Yaris Cross compact SUV pump out a combined 85kW and fuel consumption could go close to the Yaris hybrid's low 3.7L/100km efficiency claim.
In Europe, an automatic CVT and six-speed manual gearbox are offered. Toyota Australia has confirmed front and all-wheel-drive models will be available here.
The 'Brass Gold' paint job seen in the photos is the new hero colour and 18-inch alloy wheels will be offered.
Based on the same TNGA-B platform as the Toyota Yaris with which it will share several bits and pieces, Aussie examples of the Yaris Cross will come from Japan while European vehicles will be sourced from France.
Toyota Australia's vice president for sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, pointed out the city-savvy Yaris Cross compact SUV hits a sweet spot for new car buyers with its small size.
"Yaris Cross is a stylish and flexible vehicle for people with active lifestyles who appreciate the strength, space and high-riding qualities of an SUV at a scale that suits their daily need to negotiate city streets and laneways," Mr Hanley said.
The Toyota C-HR will continue to be offered in Australia for the foreseeable future, says the Japanese car giant, given it’s a larger SUV and a more premium offering.
The interior of the Toyota Yaris Cross appears much like the Toyota Yaris and will come with a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Ambient LED lighting is also on offer.
Safety tech features will include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and steering intervention.
Following the new Toyota Yaris' delayed launch mid-year, the arrival of the Yaris Cross in Australia late in 2020 will take the brand's SUV line-up to seven models from compact to upper-large. This includes the C-HR, RAV4, Prado, Kluger, Fortuner and LandCruiser 200 Series 4x4.
There is also another all-new SUV coming from Toyota that could also make its way here in due course, as the brand seeks to plug every SUV hole in the market.
Stay tuned for more details.
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